Mr.
Scown, Ambassador Peterson, members of the American business community
in Vietnam. Good morning, thank you all for coming. I would have said
"Good Morning, Vietnam" but we just signed an agreement yesterday to protect
intellectual property and the State Department does not want to get a
bill from Robin Williams.

I am delighted
to see all of you, and I am very pleased to be the first Secretary of
State to visit this city since the end of the war. The message I have
brought to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is straightforward: the United States
is committed to full normalization of diplomatic, political and economic
relations between our country and Vietnam.

We want to see
the people of Vietnam prosper and their society play a constructive role
in the region and the world. Yesterday, I had excellent meetings with
the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, General Secretary of the Communist
Party and City Council Chairman. We covered a full range of issues on
our bilateral agenda from our highest priority which is accounting for
American POWs/MIAs to human rights, to going forward with economic normalization.
On this last issue, I stressed our hope that the process of reform here
in Vietnam would regain its momentum. Barriers to trade and investment
must be brought down. The role of state run monopolies must be reduced.
A framework of law that will protect domestic and foreign investors alike
must be established.

The United States
Government is prepared to do its part. The visit of Secretary Rubin and
the arrival of Ambassador Peterson, and now my own visit, are evidence
of our interest in going ahead as fast as our laws permit and Vietnamese
policies warrant.

Although progress
to date has not always been as fast or as far-reaching as we had hoped,
movement continues in the right direction. Yesterday, as I said, we signed
an important agreement to protect intellectual property. This morning,
I was honored to participate in the ceremony commemorating the start of
construction at our Consulate-to-be here in Ho Chi Minh City, and never
has a Consulate been needed more.

I have also authorized
the Trade and Development Agency to consider Vietnam for the full range
of its programs. This will be the first U.S. agency directly supporting
American investment in Vietnam, and I am confident it will not be the
last.

In this connection,
I was very encouraged by commitments I received yesterday from the Vietnamese
officials concerning the refugee resettling program. The officials acknowledged
that problems had occurred at the outset but promise significantly more
rapid progress from here on out. If that progress materializes, I expect
to be able to recommend to President Clinton that he waive the Jackson-Vanik
provision very soon. And as you know, this would then clear the way or
Ex-Im Bank and a number of other programs.

Finally, we are
continuing with efforts to reach a comprehensive trade agreement, which
is a prerequisite to fully normal trade relations. Caution in all this
is that it takes two to reach a trade agreement. An agreement that does
not open markets and assure fair treatment for U.S. investment, goods
and services neither can nor should pass muster with Congress.

The members of
the American business community have played a key role in facilitating
closer relations between the United States and Vietnam. You have supported
our efforts which have been successful to gain the cooperation of the
government and seeking the fullest possible accounting of American POW/MIA.
You are an ally in our effort -- so far not so successful -- to convince
the government to provide greater economic openness with greater political
openness and fuller respect for human rights for all individuals. And
as I look down here, there are some people that I just saw as I was looking
at Operation Smile which I think is a very good example of how American
humaneness, with American businesses -- which is also humane -- is helping
the children of Vietnam. What better example of cooperation among all
of us to bring progress.

You, the business
community, are pioneers who are in Vietnam because you understand the
quality of the people here. You believe in the potential of this society,
and you have faith in the future. I think you are right on all counts.
Patience is not always a virtue, but in this case I believe it will in
fact be rewarded.

As Secretary
of State, I can assure you that we will do everything appropriate to support
and assist you. We want to make sure that you are treated fairly and we
want you to succeed.

Finally, let
me say that I am very pleased that America is being represented here in
Vietnam by such a responsible and diverse business community, by private
voluntary organizations that are working to repair the legacy of the war
while also looking to the future, and by and Ambassador who is clearly
the best person that President Clinton could have chosen to bring the
United States and Vietnam close together. Ambassador Peterson is one of
the most remarkable people that I have ever met and he is exactly the
embodiment of reconciliation and what is necessary to bring this society
closer to the United States. So I am very grateful to be here with Ambassador
Peterson, and I am very grateful to all of you for giving a lot of vroom
to the pizzazz that I see in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thank
you very much.

Sources: Speech can
also be found at <http://secretary.state.gov/www/statements/970628a.html>.
More speeches by Madeleine Albright may be found at <http://secretary.state.gov/index.html>.

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